Johnny Depp trades clown nose 2014

Johnny Depp has abandoned flashy pirate gear, wigs and other “clown nose” costumes to plunge into the serious, even cerebral “Transcendence,” a sci-fi thriller about nanotechnology.

Known for his “Pirates of the Caribbean” dreadlocks, “Alice in Wonderland” top hat and “Lone Ranger” face paint, Depp slips into the less colorful role of a scientist whose brain is uploaded into a huge computer just before his death.

Combining human intelligence, digital super-power and a form of immortality, he rapidly succumbs to the somewhat cliched temptation to dominate the world, leaving his wife (played by British actress Rebecca Hall) in desperate straits.

Despite the often weighty tone of the movie — which opened in the United States on Friday amid some poor reviews — the 50-year-old actor managed to find some humor when talking about it.

“Well, having no intelligence, I’m looking forward to gaining something, whether artificial or superficial,” he quipped at a Beverly Hills press conference with his fellow actors and filmmakers.

– ‘Can’t stand the way I look’ –

Becoming serious again, he conceded: “For me, it’s always more difficult and slightly exposing to play something close to yourself.